Whenever the grandeur of Ancient Egypt is evoked, there is one name which comes immediately to mind - Ramses II, the pharaoh who reigned for more than sixty years. Here, he is still only fourteen years old. His father, Seti is worshipped by his people and has made his empire the most powerful in the world. But who will be his successor? Should it be his eldest son, Shanaar, a calculating schemer; or Ramses, still passionate and impetuous? Unbeknownst to Ramses, Seti sets about teaching him his supreme duty. The tests and traps, sometimes potentially mortal, begin to multiply. And meanwhile, will Ramses escape the machinations of his brother? Will he know how to choose between Iset the Beautiful and the mysterious Nefertari? He has only a few friends he can really trust: Moses, his Hebrew schoolfriend, who shares his spirited temperament; Setaou, the snake charmer; and Ameni, the scribe.